CRACKING SIDEWALLS CAUSING BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING BOTH DRIVERS SIDE AND PASS. SIDE. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10429131
- Incident
- Oct 3, 2011
- Mileage
- 10,000 mi
Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford F-350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 29 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 29, in the owner's own words
CRACKING SIDEWALLS CAUSING BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING BOTH DRIVERS SIDE AND PASS. SIDE. *TR
BLOW OUT. *LA
WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE HE FOUND SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH. AS A RESULT REAR FENDER AND EXHAUST WERE DAMAGED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
PROBLEMS WITH MICHELIN TIRES, SPILTS ON TIRES. *MR PH
1996, F-350, CREW CAB, 4X4, WITH 35,000 ORIGINAL MILES WAS TOWING 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. EXHAUST PIPES CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE SPARE TIRE WAS NEW AND HAD NEVER BEEN REMOVED SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 1996 USED, WITH 3,000 MILES ON IT. THE SPARE TIRE WAS ABOUT 3-4 INCHES AWAY FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE HEAT SHIELD. ( NOT TOUCHING). REAR GAS TANK WAS NOT HARMED DUE TO QUICK ACTION ON FIRE EXTINGUISHING. DRIVER WAS UNAWARE OF FIRE UNTIL NOTIFIED BY PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. SPARE TIRE BURNED CLEAR TO THE CORE PRIOR TO BEING REMOVED AFTER FLAMES WERE EXTINGUISHED. *NLM
FRONT HUBS NOT LOCKING IN, CAUSING LOSS OF 4-WHEEL DRIVE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE STUCK. ALSO THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION WERE GOING IN BUT NO POWER IN FRONT WHEELS. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A FACTORY DEFAULT. *YH
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND BOTH REAR TIRES EXPLODED. WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. TIRES WERE 16INCH GOODYEAR AQUA TREADS. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
ALL FIVE FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S TIRES ON 1996, FORD, F350 EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL CRACKING WITH 29842 MILES ON TIRES. THESE TIRES WERE NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THIS VEHICLE, AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK FIRESTONE DEALER STATED TIRES EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL SEPARATION, TIRE SIZE P235/85R16 R4S, LOAD RANGE E, DOT UNKNOWN. *SLC
I WAS DRIVING ON HWY 10 AT 63-65MPH WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED, WRAPPED AROUND MY REAR AXEL, BENT BRAKE CABLE, TORE FENDER SKIRTS, BENT FENDER SUPPORTS, CHIPPED PAINT, BENT FENDER, TRIM PIECES. TIRE STEEL BELTS ONLY SURFACE TO DRIVE ON, MAKING TRUCK INOPERABLE. DID NOT TURN OVER, BUT HAD I BEEN ON MY USUAL ROUTE THROUGH MOUNTAIN CURVES, WOULD HAVE GONE OVER THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. CONCERN THAT 16 INCH TIRES ARE NOT BEING LOOKED AT. DO NOT FEEL SAFE. FIRESTONE BLAMING FORD EXPLORER. MY VEHICLE NOT A FORD EXPLORER. IT IS A TIRE DEFECT. WANT RECALL OF 16 INCH TIRES ALSO. FIRESTONE A HAZARD TO EVERY OWNER. I TELL EVERYONE WHO HAS FIRESTONE TIRES TO GET RID OF THEM. MANY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT. YOU MUST HAVE THESE TIRES REPLACED. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VNOR 1WW TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)
THE INSIDE REAR TIRE HAD A BUMP ON IT WHICH CAUSED VIBRATION IN THE DRIVETRAIN WHILE DRIVING (FIRESTONE STEELTEX P235/85R16 M/S). NLM
ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TIRES ON A FORD, F350, 1996, LT2158516, UNOPTWV206. ALL SIX TIRES ARE SHOWING EVIDENCE OF TREAD BEGINNING TO SEPARATE.*AK *SLC
TREAD STARTED TO SEPERATE FROM TIRE,CAME APART ON OUTSIDE WALL ABOUT 10 INCHES (TIRESIZE: P235/85R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/85R16 )
PE00040, BOUGHT USED A 1996 F350, TIRE SIZE LT235/85R16 STEEL TEX R4S. DRIVER'S REAR TIRE AND THE FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, AND HAD A BLOWOUT WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. 3 TIRES HAD THESE PROBLEM. *AK
PE00040, ORGINIAL EQUIPMENT ON 1996, F350 WITH DUAL REAR TIRES, TIRE SIZE LT23585R16, DOT VDOR1WW445. ALL 6 TIRES HAVE CRACKS COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF TIRES WHICH MAY INDICATE THAT TIRES ARE ABOUT TO SEPARATE. FIRESTONE IS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST CONSUMER. .*AK CONSUMER WAS ALSO UNABLE TO MAINTAIN GOOD AIR PRESSURE AND COULD FIND NO REASON AS TO THE LOSS. *SLC
LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE TIRE MAKING NOISE AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL (FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S L5215/85R16 - DOTVNOP). *ET
IT HAPPNED ON A DUAL WHEEL, SO DID NOT HAVE MUCH TROUBLE KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL. *AK (TIRESIZE: 225/75/R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/75/R16 )
WHEN FRONT TIRE CAME APART , ALMOST WENT INTO A 15 FOOT DITCH .IT COULD HAVE VERY BAD!*AK (TIRESIZE: 225/75/R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/75/R16 )
I PURCHASED A SET OF BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T 691 SIZE 33X12.50 16.5 "D" TIRES FOR MY FORD PICKUP. THEY WERE ABOUT HALF WORN WHEN WE WENT ON VACATION THIS SPRING. I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING. WHILE DRIVING THE LEFT REAR TIRE LITERALLY BLEW APART. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I WAS ON THE RIM AND HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK. I HAD TO PURCHASE A USED TIRE FOR A SPARE TO GET BACK HOME. WITHIN A COUPLE WEEKS, ONE OF THE OTHER TIRES STARTED SEPARATING AND I GOT A LARGE BUBBLE IN THE TREAD. I STARTED TO THE TIRE DEALER AND YET ANOTHER TIRE STARTED SEPARATING AND ANOTHER LARGE BUBBLE. I HAD TO GO BACK HOME AT 10 MPH. I TOOK THE TIRES OFF AND TOOK THEM TO A FIRESTONE STORE IN ROSEVILLE, CA. I SPOKE TO ROYCE WISE (MANAGING PARTNER) AND HE TOLD ME THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES GIVING ME AN ALLOWANCE FOR THE TREAD WEAR. I AGREED AND ALL SEEMED OK UNTIL MR. WISE FOUND THAT FIRESTONE NO LONGER MADE TIRES OF THAT SIZE. HE THEN TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD OR WOULD DO ABOUT THE TIRES. I ASKED HIM WHO I COULD CONTACT AT FIRESTONE AND HE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE (916) 486-3852. WHEN I CALL THE NUMBER I GET A RECORDING TO LEAVE A MESSAGE WHICH I HAVE DONE ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS NOW AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CALL BACK. IT IS OBVIOUS I AM NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH THIS COMPLAINT. I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW WHEEL AND SET OF GOODYEAR TIRES FOR MY TRUCK. I HAVE KEPT THE REMAINING THREE TIRES FOR EVIDENCE. I HAVE SENT COMPLAINTS TO FIRESTONE OVER A MONTH AGO AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO RECONCILE THIS PROBLEM, COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF A LOCAL FIRESTONE REPRESENTATIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO SETTLE THIS MATTER IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF POSSIBLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: EJYCCFN435 TIRE SIZE: 33X12.5165 )
PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH DRIVER HEARD A NOISE. AFTER PULLING ONTO THE SHOULDER, DRIVER NOTICED TIRE ON DRIVER'S FRONT WAS BALLOONED OUT IN THE CENTER. TIRE SIZE LT 21585R16, DOT # VD0P1WV405. ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT ON A 96, F350. TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 48,000. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED BY A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP FREE OF CHARGE. *AK THE RIGHT FRONT TIRES ARE BALLOONING OUT. *YH
THIS 16 INCH TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE IN AZ ON A TRIP. IT WAS ON A 1996 MOTORHOME WITH A FORD CHASSIS. THERE WAS 5/16 INCHES LEFT OF TIRE WEAR. THE TREAD PEELED OF JUST AS SHOWN ON TV. I HAVE THE TIRE. I HAVE WRITTEN TO FIRESTONE ONLY TO GET A CANNED REPLY. I KNOW THIS IS A 16 INCH TIRE AND THE RECALL IS FOR 15 INCH TIRES. BUT I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THE SAME IS HAPPENING UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS THE 15 INCH, IT DESRERVES CONSIDERATION. THIS WAS A MOTORHOME AND NOT A SUV EITHER. THAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE THAT THE TIRE IS THE PROBLEM AND NOT THE CAR!*AK( DOT NUMBER: 25582URBD9 TIRE SIZE: LT225/7516 )
TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE AND BALANCE OF TIRE BLEW, CAUSING ADJACENT TIRE TO BLOW OUT AS WELL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT22575R16 )
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDDR RAA TIRE SIZE: 235-85R-16 )
PE00020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON 1996 FORD, E350 CHASSIS, DUTCHMEN CLASS C, TIRE SIZE LT22575R16, DOT VD1W1XB435. PASSENGER'S INSIDE TIRE, A FOOT LONG TREAD PEELED OFF WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. *AK WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARTED AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT. AS THE RESULT, THE RIGHT MUD FLAP WAS TORN OFF. THE TIRE THAT BLEW WAS FIRESTONE STEEL TEX RADIAL. *YH
I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET A PHONE CALL THRU TO FIRESTONE, THE EMAIL DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY INTELLIGENCE ON THE OTHER END. I AM HOPEFUL THAT SOONER OR LATER PREF SOONER, I WILL GET MY DAY IN THE SUN. 73, NMC( DOT NUMBER: VDOR???445 TIRE SIZE: LT235/85R1 )
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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